Russia, Tula / c. 1790–95
Pair of Candelabra
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Pair of Candelabra as metalwork (Russia, Tula · c. 1790–95).
Decorative works in steel like this pair of candelabra were made by gun makers in the town of Tula, Russia, to impress the empress, Catherine the Great.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this metalwork as cut and polished steel with gold and silvered decoration.
The museum's collection notes: Founded in 1705 by Peter the Great, the armory at Tula developed steadily over the 18th century to become the center of Russian metalworking, especially in arms manufacturing. In the 1770s and 1780s, Catherine the Great took a keen interest in the work produced there, sending several of the most proficient craftsmen to England to study the decorative application of steel in armories in Sheffield and London. Subsequently, the Tula artisans surpassed the metalworkers in Britain and elsewhere in Europe, producing decorative wares that were as precious and precise as their brilliantly embellished firearms. Empress Catherine was so pleased that sh
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPair of CandelabraOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.